Quilted Valentines Day Card Tutorial

Would you like to combine sewing fun and card making this Valentine's Day to make unique handmade cards for you loved ones? Here are some simple step-by-step directions that will make it easy for you.

Supplies:
-a heart shaped to trace so you can make a template for your card
-Card stock in pink, white or red, cut in half, so you can fold it to make a card.
-Sewing machine that zig zags
-thread in a contrasting color
-fabric appropriate for hearts and Valentine's Day
-thin batting
-scissors
-white school type glue

1. Make yourself a heart shaped template using a stencil, or by tracing another heart. Cut it out of card stock so it is durable.

2. Position your heart template on a pre-cut and folded half sheet of card stock.






3. Carefully poke scissors into the middle of the heart you have traced on the card, and then cut it out, try to have very smooth cutting edges, because every little nick will show. An exact0 knife might make a smoother edge, if you had one.






4. Cut some fabric bigger then the heart hole by about 1/2 inch or more on all sides. Cut a piece of batting the same size. Layer all three pieces like a sandwich. Fabric (facing out), batting, fabric.








5. Hold your fabric sandwich firmly and center it on the underside of your card, so it shows through nicely out the front window. With your sewing machine set on a zig-zag stitch, carefully maneuver around the outside of the heart. Sewing slowly helps turn corners. Be careful to not let the fabric slip or pucker underneath the card.





6. Trim thread ends of your heart. Then trim excess fabric off the back edge of the heart. Pinking shears might be nice if you had them.









7. At this point you can leave the card just as it is, or you can cut a piece of card stock into quarters, and then glue one of those quarters onto the back side of the fabric heart to cover the edges. It will make the card a little more stiff, which could help it stand up longer. But I do think this is optional, because there is a kind of simple charm to seeing the stitched back side of the heart too.




8. Make enough cards to send to everyone. They really don't take long to make. Fill the note inside with affirmations and love. Then be sure to put them in an envelope with a stamp and address and get them out to the mail box right away. I know this is the hardest part, but may be the most important part. Don't think you are finished until you have them mailed. Then sit down and smile. You have done a good thing. Someone is going to feel so cared for in just a couple days when they find your sweet card in the mailbox.